Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-piece solid golf ball of three or more pieces which has a core, an intermediate layer and a cover. The invention relates in particular to a multi-piece solid golf ball ideal for mid- and high-level amateur golfers, which ball, while retaining a good distance on shots with a driver (W#1) can achieve a superior distance even on shots with an iron, and thus is able to increase the enjoyability of the game.
Prior Art
Numerous golf balls which can achieve an excellent flight performance and spin properties when hit at high head speeds and can also provide a good feel at impact have hitherto been developed in order to address the needs of professional golfers and skilled amateurs. Of these, by focusing on the hardness profile in the core—which accounts for most of the ball volume, and designing the core interior hardness in various ways, a number of technical solutions that provide high-performance golf balls for professional golfers and skilled amateurs have been proposed.
Such technical solutions include those disclosed in the following publications relating to the core hardness profile: JP-A 9-239068, JP-A 2003-190330, JP-A 2004-049913, JP-A 2002-315848, JP-A 2001-54588, JP-A 2002-85588, JP-A 2002-85589, JP-A 2002-85587, JP-A 2002-186686, JP-A 2009-34505 and JP-A 2011-120898.
However, for mid- and high-level amateurs, whose head speeds are not as high as those of professional golfers, most balls, even when they are able to maintain an acceptable distance on good shots with a driver (W#1), fall short of what is desired in terms of other ball properties, such as the distance traveled on iron shots taken with, for example a middle iron. Also, when attempts have been made to obtain a superior distance performance not only on shots with a driver, but also on shots with an iron, the resulting balls have been unable to exhibit a sufficiently high spin performance on approach shots, and thus have fallen short as golf balls intended to enhance the enjoyability of the game. Accordingly, there exists a desire for the design and development of a golf ball which, by having a high level of performance attributes such as flight, spin performance on approach shots and feel, brings to the game of golf a high degree of enjoyability, and is thus capable of satisfying the needs of mid- and high-level amateur golfers.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a golf ball which, when used by mid- and high-level amateur golfers whose head speeds are not as high as those of professional golfers, enables them to maintain an acceptable distance on shots with a driver and also obtain a good distance on iron shots taken with, for, example, a middle iron, and moreover provides a good spin performance on approach shots and a good feel at impact.